By Auwal Mohammed
Gombe (Nigeria) — Gombe state government in northeast of the country, in collaboration with the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) Bauchi Area Office, has train 500 youth and women in various technical and vocational skills, under the National Industrial Skill Development Programme (NISDP).
Director General of the Industrial Trust Fund, Joseph Ari, who was represented by the Director Technical and Vocational Skills, Ishiyaku Shehu disclosed this in Gombe during the closing ceremony of the programme.
“Since its inception of the programme over 93,100 youths with various skills for employability and entrepreneurship. I am pleased to inform you that according to our tracking and monitoring system, over 70 percent of beneficiaries of earlier phase of the programme are now gainfully employed, or are successful entrepreneurs”, he said.
Mr. Ari said, “Commitment of the Federal government to skills acquisition is informed by dark and bleak future that lies in wait if urged and proactive action are not taken, particularly in the empowerment of the youth and other vulnerable group
“By year 2050, according to a projection , Nigeria population will be 500 million of this number majority will be youth. As much as the youth bulge is an advantage it becomes a huge disadvantage especially when they are not meaningfully engaged”, he added.
The Director General called on the trainees to take advantage of the training to strive to be self-employed, adding that to achieve that they most to show passion committed and dedicated to their chosen trade and vocations which is the only way of their success in life/
Also speaking the State Commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Farouk Yarma who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Adamu Kala said those that participated in the training would soon be give starter kits to set up their business.
